1927 Babe Ruth Large Original Professional Photograph

Extraordinary large format professional presentation photograph (11 x 14 inches) of Babe Ruth in action during the 1927 season. Photographer James J. Meli of Parma, Ohio, took the photo at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium, during a game between the Yankees and the Indians. Ruth is captured in his classic home-run swing follow-through, with bat over his right shoulder and head looking up to follow the flight of another prodigious drive. This is a very unusual image of Ruth, which we do not believe we have seen before. Original photographs of Babe Ruth of this size and professional quality are rare. Those dating from the key year of 1927 are scarcer still. 1927 would be the Babe's greatest single season, the year in which he established the long-standing mark of 60 homers in a single season, and led the famous Murderer's Row Yankees to the World Championship. The photograph has been signed and dated by the photographer on the front ("James J. Meli 5-1927, Cleveland") and stamped with his name and telephone number on the verso ("Photo by James J. Meli, Shadyside 0936."). Overall the photograph is in exceptionally fine condition, with a small scrape with tiny hole in the extreme lower right, a few very insignificant corner creases, and a few paper remnants of a label (almost certainly removable if desired) along the bottom as imperfections. The image of "The Bambino" is flawless. While newswire photos of Ruth are very desirable, they should in no way be confused with the infinitely greater rarity, size, quality, and display value represented by a professionally produced original vintage display photograph such as this, which was produced as a fine example of the photographer's art, for the purpose of presentation and display. An incredible and extremely rare large format display photograph of Babe Ruth in action. Very Good to Excellent condition. Reserve $1,000. Estimate $2,000/$3,000.SOLD FOR $5,175.00

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